Toilet Shopping....

So we have only one more touch up coat of mudding to do in the main area of the basement and then we will be ready to paint. Hopefully this weekend we will tackle that project. So Rob has moved back into the bathroom and gotten a lot of the walls put back up. We decided to go with a mold resistant sheet rock. We also decided we needed to have that floor tile layed before the carpet is installed as it lays adjacent and then they can tack it properly. So we need to level the floor in the bathroom, but prior to that we need to put up the rest of the walls. Well we are dealing with a remodel here, so it's not like we get to chose where the toilet goes, and the previous wall was simply paneling glued to the concrete brick. (very energy efficiant...NOT) well since we are doing the job, we want to do it right and make it look nice. So we decided that before we actually put the wall up we need to know exactly what toilet we are going to purchase so that the measurements are accurate. Mind you this process of discovery and determining where to start was about an hour conversation/disscussion with Rob and I. So we measured from the middle of the sewer hole to the wall to determine how much room we had to work with. Feeling pretty equippped with the neccessary info., off to Menards we go to purchase a toilet. Upon arrival in toilet isle...we begin to look at the pictures and notice that all of them give dimensions of the toilet, from front to back, top to bottom, etc. Which is all great, but we measure from plum center to wall, so our info didn't jive with the photos. Naturally there was not a sole to be found to assist us, so we headed to the tape measure isle and took it upon ourselves to borrow one to start measuring the bases of the toilets. Yes we opened boxes and assemble them in the isle and began measuring. Consistantly coming up with 11.5 inches, inwhich we only have 10.5 inches to work with. Rats...now what do we do. So we continue down the isle looking for the smallest toilets we could find...to our dismay the all seem to be a standard 11.5 inches. After a bit we notice a diagram that gives you tips on how to find the right toilet. It states that they come in various sizes of rough cuts (distance from center of pipe to wall) Ahhah! that's the measurment we came equipped with...as we grow frustrated and begin to criticize the lack of help and lack of posted information, we both state "well how in the _____, are we supposed to determine the rough cut on each of the toilets...are we going to have to measure each one?" The sign stated that they varried in size from 10" to 14" rough cut. Okay, so now we know that there is a 10 made in this world...how are we going to find it? Cuz, that's the one we need. In the meantime another customer is in the isle, pretty much doing the same thing we are, growing more and more frustrated and about to leave, Rob notices on the sign below the picture diagram that we had been looking at that there are bullet points of information...Oh yeah, right there in bold print is a line that says...Rough Cut 12". We busted up laughing as we both failed to read the signage, but rather were literally measuring every doggone toilet in the isle. (Now wouldn't you think some associate would come along and notice us assembling toilets and measuring them? and ask if we need help). So now we're getting somewhere. We go down the isle again and every sign is saying 12" rough cut....which we know to be true cuz we measured them. (on the up side...Quality control gets a high rating). Finally we come across 1 yes only 1 toilet that is a 10" rough cut. Success...however it is twice as much as the other ones, and comes with less parts...What's up with that!!. Now to find an associate to help us get one...I made my way to a department accross the store to encounter 2 associates chatting it up as they were unloading christmas decorations. I politely asked them to radio someone to assist us in the toilet isle. The guy comes to help and to our avail...they have the tank, but can't find the bowl...he checks the computer and it says they have one left in the store...guess he'll go check in back....about 10-15 min. later we ourselves discover it in another isle way up on top. Again...naturally the guy helping us had not returned from "checking in back". I seek out yet another associate up on a ladder and ask if he could radio the person in the toilet dept. and let him know that we found the 1 toilet up on the top shelf. He says he could but that there are many people working in that department and he isn't sure who was helping us. SERIOUSLY...MANY PEOPLE working in that department....we were there for over an hour and not a sole did we encounter! He asked if we needed help getting it down...(well sherlock, I didn't bring my ladder with me, but I could head to that department and get one!) YES, I kindly said that would be greatly appreciated. Around the corner comes the original associate that was helping us and he informed us that he couldn't find it....we showed him where it was and then he said he would need to find a ladder to help us get it down. Yeah, we all know where this is going....yet another indefinate wait...we notice that we only have 45 min. before we have to be at a potluck for boyscouts and decided we couldn't risk not getting it down and through the check out line in time. We told the associate we just simply would have to come back later, as we had another commitment we had to get to. So yes we left...with NO toilet! But at least now we know what we are looking for. Moral of the story....I am sure there are many 1. Don't ever hire Rob and I to remodel and install a toilet in your bathroom. 2. Read the information on the signs, don't just rely on the photos. & 3. If you think it's going to be a quick 20 min. trip...think again plan for at least an hour and a half to buy a toilet.